Executive Board

September 2017

The August congressional recess, the month when lawmakers go home to their districts (and a time to which Washingtonians look forward for 11 months of the year), was not as quiet as anticipated. In early August, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution imposing additional sanctions on North Korea in response to that country’s growing missile and nuclear weapon program. Read More »

July 2017

On May 23, the Trump administration released its fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget proposal, entitled “A New Foundation for American Greatness.” The budget request would provide $27.7 billion for the Department of Justice, a decrease of $1.1 billion compared to the FY2017 funding level. The budget places a strong emphasis on investing in immigration enforcement and combating violent crime. Read More »

June 2017

On May 5, President Trump signed into law a $1.1 trillion spending measure that funds the federal government through September 30, the end of fiscal year (FY) 2017. The House and Senate voted to pass the measure just days before federal funding was set to expire. Generally speaking, the FY 2017 spending bill, commonly called the omnibus, maintains funding for the federal government — including a number of fundamental federal law enforcement programs. Read More »

May 2017

In late March, more than a dozen PORAC and PORAN members traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers to discuss legislative priorities in the 115th Congress. In total, the group met with more than 30 lawmakers and their staffs, including U.S. Senators Feinstein (D-Calif.), Harris (D-Calif.), Heller (R-Nev.) and Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), as well as House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). PORAC also met with staff from the House Education and Workforce Committee and the Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students. Read More »

April 2017

Darryl Nirenberg Partner Eva Rigamonti Associate Cameron O’Brien Legislative Assistant Steptoe & Johnson LLP President Trump Expresses Support for Law Enforcement in Address to Congress On February 28, President Trump delivered his first speech to a joint session of Congress, striking an optimistic, bipartisan tone. In his speech, Trump touted the executive actions he has […] Read More »

March 2017

Darryl Nirenberg Partner Eva Rigamonti Associate Cameron O’Brien Legislative Assistant Steptoe & Johnson LLP President’s Preliminary Budget Plan Targets COPS Funding for Elimination While President Trump has yet to announce a complete budget for consideration by Congress, his administration has reportedly identified a number of programs that it suggested could be eliminated to reduce the […] Read More »

January 2017

DARRYL NIRENBERG Partner JASON ABEL Of Counsel EVA RIGAMONTI Associate CAMERON O’BRIEN Legislative Assistant Steptoe & Johnson LLP Congressional Update Narrowly avoiding a government shutdown, on December 10 President Obama signed into law a continuing resolution (CR) that will fund the government at last year’s levels through April 28, 2017. The House of Representatives voted […] Read More »

December 2016

DARRYL NIRENBERG Partner JASON ABEL Of Counsel EVA RIGAMONTI Associate CAMERON O’BRIEN Legislative Assistant Steptoe & Johnson LLP Presidential Race In a stunning outcome that defied every major national poll and the predictions of countless political pundits, Donald Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States on November 8. Trump amassed a number […] Read More »